Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim resigns

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar
Abba-Ibrahim, has resigned her appointment as minister and member of the
Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The minister confirmed this development to some members of
the State House correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja.

Abba-Ibrahim, who hails from Yobe state, attributed her
action on the need to run for elective office on Feb. 2019 to represent the
Damaturu/Tarmuwa/Gujba/Gulani federal constituency of Yobe.

The out-going minister had in October 2018 at the All
Progressive Congress (APC) primaries defeated her son-in law, Mohammed Bukar Abba
Ibrahim to emerge flag bearer of House of representative seat for the
Damaturu/Tarmuwa/Gujba/Gulani constituency of Yobe.

Abba-Ibrahim, who was appointed minister in Nov. 2015 by
President Buhari, scored 1,295 votes to defeat her step son who got 15 votes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister’s
resignation came barely six weeks after the resignation of Minister of State
for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, following his selection by the Nasarawa
Emirate Council and subsequent approval by Governor Tanko Umaru Almakura as new
Emir of Nasarawa.

NAN observed that no official statement on the resignation
of Abba-Ibrahim, who was in attendance of the meeting of the Federal Executive
Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, from
the presidency as of the time of filing this report.

In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday
appointed Bismarck Rewane as head of newly inaugurated Technical Advisory
Committee on the implementation of a National Minimum Wage.

Inaugurating the committee before the commencement of the
Federal Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential
Villa Abuja, Buhari said that after the new minimum wage has been passed into
law, government will go into negotiations for salary review for all the workers
who are already earning above the new minimum wage.

According to him, it was important to properly prepare the
minds of those involved so that they will not be taken unawares when the time
comes.

Pointing out that the last time Nigeria’s national minimum
wage was reviewed was in 2011, he said that it was evident that a review was
necessary, despite the prevailing fiscal challenges.

He said “This is why I constituted the Tripartite Committee
of Government, Organized Private Sector and Labour to consider the National
Minimum Wage and make recommendations to Government for its upward review.

“That Committee has since submitted its report with some
recommendations. We are currently working on the final steps that will lead to
the submission of a National Minimum Wage Amendment Bill to the National
Assembly.

“I want to make it clear that there is no question about
whether the National Minimum Wage will be reviewed upwards. I am committed to a
review of the Minimum Wage.

“Also, it is important to explain that even though the
subject of a National Minimum Wage is in the Exclusive Legislative List, we
have been meeting with the State Governors because it is imperative that the
Federal Government carries the State Governments along in determining any
upward review of the minimum wage for workers.

“This is especially necessary considering the prevailing
public sector revenue challenges, which have made it extremely difficult for
some of the governments to pay workers as and when due.

“As you know we, at the Federal level, have made adequate
provision for the increase in the Minimum Wage in our 2019 Budget proposals
which we submitted to the National Assembly. Therefore, we will be able to meet
the additional costs that will be incurred in moving up all personnel who are
currently earning below the new minimum wage.

“However, we anticipate that after the new minimum wage has
been passed into law we will be going into negotiations for salary review for
all the workers who are already earning above the new minimum wage. It is
therefore important that we are properly prepared to meet these demands.

“We must therefore look at ways of implementing these
consequential wage adjustments in a manner that does not have adverse effects
on our national development plans, as laid out in the Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan (ERGP). The ERGP sets appropriate targets for levels of Capital
Expenditure, Public Debt, Inflation, Employment, etc.

“It is absolutely important that the implementation of a new
minimum wage does not adversely affect these targets, and thereby erode the
envisaged gains for the workers.

“It is against this background that I have set up a
Technical Committee to advise Government on how best to fund, in a sustained
manner, the additional costs that will arise from the implementation of the
consequential increases in salaries and allowances for workers currently
earning above the new minimum wage.” he said

He said that the inaugurated technical committee will be chaired
by an economist and financial expert, Mr. Bismarck Rewane with other
experienced economists and administrators from the private sector working
together with all the relevant officials of government.

He enumerated the terms of reference for the committee to
include develop, and advise government on how to successfully bring about a
smooth implementation of impending wage increases and identify new revenue
sources, and areas of existing expenditure from where some savings could be
made in order to fund the wage increases without adversely impacting the
nation’s development goals as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

Others are to “propose a work plan and modalities for the
implementation of the salary increases, any other suggestions that will assist
in the implementation of this, and future wage increases.

“Given the urgency of this exercise, the Committee is
expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and
recommendations within one month today.

“It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Technical
Advisory Committee on the Implementation of an Increase in the National Minimum
Wage.”

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